Music as an Art Music as has been referred to above has many attributes that qualify it as an art. For instance, every aspect of musical performances from the three outstanding domains: – of singing, dancing, and playing of instruments, (including the act of decorations, adornments, and costuming) are all located within the confines of art. Every musical performance especially in a traditional setup involves artistic interpretation and expression of self and communal values.
Taking dance as an example, it involves special skills in the movement of hands, legs, and the entire body. It has to be maintained that there is a strong affinity between music and dance which can never be disputed. Dance in its perspective is a complex activity that results from strict rhythmic accompaniment or organized sounds.
This interrelationship has been observed by Nketia (1974) when he affirms that, Music that is frequently integrated with dance is bound to emphasize and develop those features that can be articulated in bodily movement or to relate its form and content to the structural and dramatic requirement of the dance, (he goes further to inform that) the importance attached to the dance does not lie only in the scope it provides for the release of emotion stimulated by music, the dance can also be used as a social and artistic medium of communication.
It can convey thoughts or matters of personal or social importance through the choice of movement, posture, and facial expression (207). The main relationship between music and dance is that without music there won’t be dance. Undoubtedly music means a lot of things to a lot of people in such a way that various nomenclatures are used to qualify it.
For instance, singing a song is designated music as well as dancing and instrumentation. Where some have specific vernacular names for each the others do not have. Some even make use of prefix or suffix attachments to distinguish their meanings. In any case, the implication is that music connotes three major aspects of performances namely, singing, dancing, drama, and playing of instruments, all representing the art.
Concept of Music Culturally
People have conceived music in various ways such that its discussion on this platform may seem unnecessary or out of place. Nevertheless, the writer considers it relevant looking at the topic of discussion. Conceptualization of music as presented by these music giants (as their contributions are deemed most pertinent to the topic of discussion) such as Merriam 1964, Nketia 1974, Blacking 1976, Nzewi 1991, and a host of other music scholars have painted a discrete image that goes beyond what uninformed construe or interpret as music. For these erudite scholars, music is human intent expressed into action to communicate ideas, portray the culture, symbolize events, socialize people, and stimulate emotions, and so on. For music and humanity should not be treated in isolation.
By extension, Music is described as incorporating a number of complex features in creative, artistic, and aesthetic dimensions which distinctively present a unique theoretical concept that differs from one cultural area to another. As a matter of fact, it should not be confined to mere entertainment medium as that would discredit its potentiality and thus reduce it to ordinary activities within the domains of little children.
Conclusion
From the above discussion, music has scientific abilities as well as artistic dispositions. Invariably, science and art are described as activities undertaken by man to achieve the desired result. While Arts represent creative human expressions, Science involves critical examination, experimentations, scientific inquiries, and discoveries.